AWWA ACE90051

In 1989 the US Environmental Protection Agency revised state primacy regulations governing the Safe Drinking Water Act. Concern has been building over the states' ability to meet all of the requirements necessary to retain primacy. Cost is an important consideration. This paper discusses state drinking water program administrators' attitudes on primacy. Data was gathered in a survey of 45 administrators. Responses fall under the headings of extension requests, state resources, balancing state and EPA resources, data management, local health agencies, EPA primacy withdrawal, state enforcement authority, and states relinquishing primacy. The author suggests that funding is the crux of the issue and recommends that water utilities intensify efforts to promote increased state and federal funding for primacy programs. He also suggests that the EPA clearly demonstrate its intent to withdraw primacy from states that do not make a good faith effort to commit additional resources to primacy programs.